Lorenzo Taliaferro, a former Baltimore Ravens running back who starred for Bruton High, died of cocaine and fentanyl intoxication, according to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
His death was ruled an accident, Donna Price, the district administrator for the state medical examiner’s office in Norfolk, wrote in an email Monday.
Taliaferro, 28, died in December of what was described as a heart attack. A spokesperson with the York County Sheriff’s Office said Taliaferro was transported to the Riverside Doctors’ Hospital in Williamsburg, where he was pronounced dead.
Taliaferro led Bruton to the Group AA Division 3 state championship game as a senior, rushing for 1,678 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also starred at linebacker.
Bruton retired Taliaferro’s jersey in 2015.
After two years of junior college, he became a Football Championship Subdivision All-American with Coastal Carolina, then was drafted in 2014 by the Ravens. He played in 19 games over three seasons for Baltimore. In 2014, he ran for 282 yards and four touchdowns and caught eight passes for 114 yards.
Taliaferro was waived by the Ravens in 2017 and played briefly in 2018 for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
